It's the year 2038 and a deadly virus has consumed the world for more than 14 years.
In Denmark, an unknown politician took it upon himself to create a safe space from the infected. As long as you abide by the 8 Obligations, you are allowed to live...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
We've been inside this school for weeks. The party atmosphere that raged the halls in the beginning of the lockdown has turned into fear and despair. No one had expected that the lockdown meant staying in the building. We thought we could go home. But no one, anywhere in the country, is allowed to go outside.
Magnus has been quiet most of the time. We can talk about stuff that distract us from the reality, but when the conversation ends up on the current situation, he shuts up. Something in his eyes tells me that he knows much more than he is saying. And since his mom is a nurse, I have a bad feeling that it's because he knows something more than we have been told by the government. Something so terrible, that he is terrified to say it out loud.
"Kids, we didn't get any supplies today, so we need to ration the food we have left." Complaints, disappointed grunts, and some muffled crying fills the room. "I know, I know." The teacher tries to calm us down. "it's not ideal, but I know you guys are strong. We'll get through this."
"Have we heard anything about what's happening out there?" I ask and our teacher turns her attention towards me. Since the lockdown, her hatred for me has dulled down a bit. Maybe because I'm not trying to agitate her anymore.
"Sorry, Alec. The radio is silent and it's just the same image on every channel." She gestures to the tv that is hanging on the wall behind her. The only thing showing is a yellow screen with the words "breaking news" across and underneath the same message that has been there for weeks. "Stay indoor - stay safe"
The teachers boarded up the windows the first day of the lockdown. Apparently, that had been the instructions they had been given. Something bad was happening outside, but we were kept in the dark. Both figuratively and literally. We were told it was for our own safety. Then they had rounded us all up in the cafeteria, which is where we spent most of the time. At nighttime, some groups have been assigned a classroom to sleep in. I think they did it, to help us all get some sleep. Because those students who cried the most was kept in the cafeteria with the teachers. As the weeks had gone by, more and more students had joined those in the cafeteria. For comfort, I think.
I am still spending the nights in a classroom with Magnus, Jace and Simon. Others sleep there too, but we stay close together. None of us can shake of the feeling that something terrible is on its way, and that it's best if we just stay close together.
After her announcement, our teacher comes over and asks me and Jace to follow her. It's still so strange for me to be treated as an equal to Jace, that I sometimes expect her to turn around and tell me to stay where I am and don't follow them, but she never does. She has been giving us both a lot of responsibility since it became clear that we weren't going to leave this place anytime soon. At first, it was only Jace that she allowed to help, but it didn't take long before my brother included me. Even though we don't always get along, we are a lot better together. Somehow, we just fit. Besides the only reason we don't get along is because of me. Ever since Jace came along he was the perfect son, the perfect student, the perfect athlete, the perfect everything. And I began resenting being in his shadow, so I rebelled. Broke the rules set by my parents, teachers, and other authoritarian figures.
